Going clipless

[Cc]

Hey all,

I'm looking at picking up new road and XC bikes in the
next six months, and am trying to decide on the best
pedal / cleat system, ideally such that I don't need two
pairs of shoes.

My current ride is a well-weathered Rockhopper Pro from a
few years back. It came with clipless - not sure which
variety, as they're in storage - but I threw on platforms.
I've always ridden platforms (I'd ridden primarily BMX
before the RH), and did a lot of mixed city/trail rides
where they made sense (before I moved to the Bay Area, where
we've trails aplenty within riding distance).

I haven't decided exactly what road I'll pick up, something
in the just sub 1K range, but I'm almost certain that I'll
get a Stumpie elite disc in the next few weeks. I've a
friend who really likes eggbeaters . . my only concern with
these is that I'm not certain that it's possible to get a
clip/platform combo for the RH or SJ (if I decide I want
one), or if anyone uses these for road bikes.

Suggestions?

Thanks, ****cc

 

[Bomba]

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 01:22:39 -0700, cc wrote:

> I've a friend who really likes eggbeaters . . my only
> concern with these is that I'm not certain that it's
> possible to get a
> clip/platform combo for the RH or SJ (if I decide I want
> one), or if anyone uses these for road bikes.
>
> Suggestions?

The Eggbeaters also come in the Candy and Mallet forms,
which are basic Eggbeaters with (different-sized) platforms
round them.

--
a.m-b FAQ: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/ambfaq.htm

b.bmx FAQ: http://www.t-online.de/~jharris/bmx_faq.htm

 

[Jonesy]

bomba <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 01:22:39 -0700, cc wrote:
>
> > I've a friend who really likes eggbeaters . . my only
> > concern with these is that I'm not certain that it's
> > possible to get a
> > clip/platform combo for the RH or SJ (if I decide I want
> > one), or if anyone uses these for road bikes.
> >
> > Suggestions?
>
> The Eggbeaters also come in the Candy and Mallet forms,
> which are basic Eggbeaters with (different-sized)
> platforms round them.

I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they have
turned out to be pretty great clipless, and fairly decent
platforms (if you are wearing shoes that don't have a really
thin sole, like flip-flops or Converse All-Stars.)
--
Jonesy

 

[Booker C . Bens]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <[email protected]>, cc
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Hey all,
>
>I'm looking at picking up new road and XC bikes in the
>next six months, and am trying to decide on the best pedal
>/ cleat system, ideally such that I don't need two pairs
>of shoes.
>
>
>I haven't decided exactly what road I'll pick up, something
>in the just sub 1K range, but I'm almost certain that I'll
>get a Stumpie elite disc in the next few weeks. I've a
>friend who really likes eggbeaters . . my only concern with
>these is that I'm not certain that it's possible to get a
>clip/platform combo for the RH or SJ (if I decide I want
> one), or if anyone uses these for road bikes.
>

_ Eggbeaters make great road pedals. The most recent US pro
cycling champion uses them.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=road/2004/giro04/tec-
h/bikes_climbing

As long as you use a reasonably stiff shoe they are fine on
the road. For mountain biking I would look at either the
Candy or Mallet, depending on how much you want to ride
unclipped.

_ Booker C. Bense

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[John Harlow]

> I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they have
> turned out to be pretty great clipless, and fairly decent
> platforms (if you are wearing shoes that don't have a
> really thin sole, like flip-flops or Converse All-Stars.)

I just got my woman some Mallet Cs.

She was having a rough time getting used to clipless
(Times), so I got her these so she can wear regular shoes on
technical rides. She is a LOT happier with having a choice
but is having a difficult time clipping in and out reliably.
The cleats are nice and tight, and she had no problems with
the Times (except for *having* to use them).

How long did you find they needed to "break in"?

 

[Monique Y. Muda]

On 2004-06-08, John Harlow penned:
>
> I just got my woman some Mallet Cs.

I could have sworn slavery was illegal ...

--
monique

 

[Cc]

> I could have sworn slavery was illegal ...
>
> --
> monique

Well, you know what they say: what you do in your own
home . . .

****cc

 

[Cc]

> >
> > The Eggbeaters also come in the Candy and Mallet forms,
> > which are basic Eggbeaters with (different-sized)
> > platforms round them.
>
> I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they have
> turned out to be pretty great clipless, and fairly decent
> platforms (if you are wearing shoes that don't have a
> really thin sole, like flip-flops or Converse All-Stars.)
> --

So you can feel them if you're wearing thinner shoes, or
those with softer soles?

***cc

 

[Booker C . Bens]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <[email protected]>, John Harlow
<[email protected]> wrote:
>> I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they have
>> turned out to be pretty great clipless, and fairly decent
>> platforms (if you are wearing shoes that don't have a
>> really thin sole, like flip-flops or Converse All-Stars.)
>
>I just got my woman some Mallet Cs.
>
>She was having a rough time getting used to clipless
>(Times), so I got her these so she can wear regular shoes
>on technical rides. She is a LOT happier with having a
>choice but is having a difficult time clipping in and out
>reliably. The cleats are nice and tight, and she had no
>problems with the Times (except for *having* to use them).
>
>How long did you find they needed to "break in"?
>

_ Mine took about 10 or so rides. I have two pairs of MTB
shoes and eggbeaters seem pretty sensitive to the tread
depth. My older worn shoes are much easier to clip in/out
than the newer ones. Have you tried using the little shim
for under the cleat?

_ Another thing to try is lubing the coil springs on the
outside of the pedal. I'm not sure if that's really needed
or not, but it seemed to help. You can make the cleats much
easier to pop
in/out by a little "simulated wear" a file, but that will
reduce the life of the cleats. When new you can only get
out by twisting, but after some wear you can pull them
straight out like you can with very loosely set SPD's.

_ Booker C. Bense

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[Bill Wheeler]

On Mon, 7 Jun 2004 01:22:39 -0700, "cc" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Hey all,

Hey back

[snip]

By all means go clipless. Currently there are tons of hyped
up clipless systems. My advice is to keep it as simple as
possible. SPD's work absolutely fine and you can get a pair
of simple shimano's that will do the trick for less than $70
bucks not including shoes.

Do some research and keep it simple.

Peace, Bill

The mind serves properly as a window glass rather than as a
reflector, that is, the mind should give an immediate view
instead of an interpretation of the world.
:-]

 

[Jonesy]

"cc" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > >
> > > The Eggbeaters also come in the Candy and Mallet
> > > forms, which are basic Eggbeaters with (different-
> > > sized) platforms round them.
> >
> > I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they
> > have turned out to be pretty great clipless, and fairly
> > decent platforms (if you are wearing shoes that don't
> > have a really thin sole, like flip-flops or Converse All-
> > Stars.)
> > --
>
> So you can feel them if you're wearing thinner shoes, or
> those with softer soles?

The Eggbeater clips stick up off the platforms. If I'm
wearing lugged hiking shoes, I can't tell they're there. If
I'm wearing my All-Stars, I can tell they're there. I
wouldn't want to pedal all day in the All-Stars. But they do
work for quick in-town trips. Even for dragging a kid in a
bike trailer down the paved bike trail.

Regular tennis shoes? I really don't notice the Eggbeater
part. There's plenty of platform to hold up your feet.
--
Jonesy

 

[Jonesy]

"John Harlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they
> > have turned out to be pretty great clipless, and fairly
> > decent platforms (if you are wearing shoes that don't
> > have a really thin sole, like flip-flops or Converse All-
> > Stars.)
>
> I just got my woman some Mallet Cs.
>
> She was having a rough time getting used to clipless
> (Times), so I got her these so she can wear regular shoes
> on technical rides. She is a LOT happier with having a
> choice but is having a difficult time clipping in and out
> reliably. The cleats are nice and tight, and she had no
> problems with the Times (except for *having* to use them).
>
> How long did you find they needed to "break in"?

Well, that's kind of a funny story. I had SPDs to start
with, adjusted so loose that I could just yank out. But I
still fell over a lot, because I forgot I had clipped in. Or
I'd get clipped in without realizing it. So, I went with the
Mallets to go platform for a while until I could get some
shoes that didn't squeeze the life out of my feet. (What's
with those Italians and their narrow-ass feet?) After I got
some wide shoes, I went onto the lawn, and practiced
clipping in and out. I also lubed the spring, and PAMmed my
cleats. After about 50-100 engagement-disengagement cycles,
the system finally started to feel good. Now, is that
because I taught myself what to do, or is that because the
mechanism loosened up a little? I'm guessing both.

Take your wife to a park with a bike stretch of grass.
Tell her to get into and out of the pedals a bunch of
times, so it becomes a natural motion. Heck, even when I'm
in my hiking boots, I still rotate my heel before I step
off the pedals!

Good luck to you and her.
--
Jonesy

 

[Jonesy]

Booker C. Bense <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> >
> >How long did you find they needed to "break in"?
> >
>
> _ Mine took about 10 or so rides. I have two pairs of MTB
> shoes and eggbeaters seem pretty sensitive to the tread
> depth. My older worn shoes are much easier to clip in/out
> than the newer ones. Have you tried using the little shim
> for under the cleat?

Hmmm, now I wish I would have tried that. I should install
the shim just for the heck of it, to see if it makes any
difference. The lugs on my shoes still hang up every now
and again.
--
Jonesy

 

[John Harlow]

> _ Mine took about 10 or so rides. I have two pairs of MTB
> shoes and eggbeaters seem pretty sensitive to the tread
> depth. My older worn shoes are much easier to clip in/out
> than the newer ones. Have you tried using the little shim
> for under the cleat?

I actually had to use both sets for her shoes. With them, I
can easily clip them in by hand, and they *just* rest on
the flats.

> _ Another thing to try is lubing the coil springs on the
> outside of the pedal. I'm not sure if that's really needed
> or not, but it seemed to help. You can make the cleats
> much easier to pop
> in/out by a little "simulated wear" a file, but that will
> reduce the life of the cleats. When new you can only
> get out by twisting, but after some wear you can pull
> them straight out like you can with very loosely set
> SPD's.

Thanks, underscore Booker. I'll try the lube and tell her,
unlike me, they get better with time (do Times get better
with themselves?)

 

[John Harlow]

> Take your wife to a park with a bike stretch of grass.
> Tell her to get into and out of the pedals a bunch of
> times, so it becomes a natural motion. Heck, even when I'm
> in my hiking boots, I still rotate my heel before I step
> off the pedals!

Will do. I'm sure she will get accustomed to them; it's good
to know others had a bit of an adjustment period as well.
Just mentioning this will likely help a good amount.

> Good luck to you and her.

Thanks!

 

[Cc]

> > > > The Eggbeaters also come in the Candy and Mallet
> > > > forms, which are
basic
> > > > Eggbeaters with (different-sized) platforms round
> > > > them.
> > >
> > > I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they
> > > have turned out to be pretty great clipless, and
> > > fairly decent platforms (if you are wearing shoes that
> > > don't have a really thin sole, like flip-flops or
> > > Converse All-Stars.)
> > > --
> >
> > So you can feel them if you're wearing thinner shoes, or
> > those with
softer
> > soles?
>
> The Eggbeater clips stick up off the platforms. If I'm
> wearing lugged hiking shoes, I can't tell they're there.
> If I'm wearing my All-Stars, I can tell they're there. I
> wouldn't want to pedal all day in the All-Stars. But they
> do work for quick in-town trips. Even for dragging a kid
> in a bike trailer down the paved bike trail.
>
> Regular tennis shoes? I really don't notice the Eggbeater
> part. There's plenty of platform to hold up your feet.
> --
> Jonesy

$$. Thanks.

**cc

 

[Steve + Laura]

I just put Shimano 324's on both my bikes. I'm relatively
new to clipless pedals and they work pretty well. Take a
look at the reviews on mtbr.com.

Steve.

cc wrote:
> Hey all,
>
> I'm looking at picking up new road and XC bikes in the
> next six months, and am trying to decide on the best pedal
> / cleat system, ideally such that I don't need two pairs
> of shoes.
>
> My current ride is a well-weathered Rockhopper Pro from a
> few years back. It came with clipless - not sure which
> variety, as they're in storage - but I threw on platforms.
> I've always ridden platforms (I'd ridden primarily BMX
> before the RH), and did a lot of mixed city/trail rides
> where they made sense (before I moved to the Bay Area,
> where we've trails aplenty within riding distance).
>
> I haven't decided exactly what road I'll pick up,
> something in the just sub 1K range, but I'm almost certain
> that I'll get a Stumpie elite disc in the next few weeks.
> I've a friend who really likes eggbeaters . . my only
> concern with these is that I'm not certain that it's
> possible to get a
> clip/platform combo for the RH or SJ (if I decide I want
> one), or if anyone uses these for road bikes.
>
> Suggestions?
>
> Thanks, ****cc

 

[John Morgan]

Jonesy wrote:

> "cc" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
>> > >
>> > > The Eggbeaters also come in the Candy and Mallet
>> > > forms, which are basic Eggbeaters with (different-
>> > > sized) platforms round them.
>> >
>> > I got Mallets, and after some time breaking in, they
>> > have turned out to be pretty great clipless, and fairly
>> > decent platforms (if you are wearing shoes that don't
>> > have a really thin sole, like flip-flops or Converse
>> > All-Stars.)
>> > --
>>
>> So you can feel them if you're wearing thinner shoes, or
>> those with softer soles?
>
> The Eggbeater clips stick up off the platforms. If I'm
> wearing lugged hiking shoes, I can't tell they're there.
> If I'm wearing my All-Stars, I can tell they're there. I
> wouldn't want to pedal all day in the All-Stars. But they
> do work for quick in-town trips. Even for dragging a kid
> in a bike trailer down the paved bike trail.
>
> Regular tennis shoes? I really don't notice the Eggbeater
> part. There's plenty of platform to hold up your feet.

One time I drove 45 minutes to a trail and realized I had
forgotten my cycling shoes when I got there. I did the ride
in my soft Vans, and by the end of the ride my arches were
aching. Luckily the ride wasn't too technical, and my friend
wasn't very fast.

John M